Ontario High Speed Rail Studies Begin

Ontario has begun preliminary work on a high-speed train route that, if ever built, could include substantial private sector involvement. Early design work on the line, which links Toronto and Windsor (about 360 kms), was announced along with studies looking at technical and business factors.
David Collenette, a former federal Transport Minister and the Liberal provincial government’s special advisor on the project, reported that “thorough market soundings with the private sector, organized by Infrastructure Ontario” show high private sector interest. He suggests a P3 is viable in principle. However, the project is so preliminary – Collenette recommends it be done in two phases, and the first wouldn’t start till 2025—that any discussion of models is premature.
The cost could range from Cdn$7.5 billion to Cdn$21.5 billion, he reported. The province is doing design work through the Ministry of Transportation and has committed Cdn$15 million for an environmental assessment.